Saturday, February 8, 2014

We did a classic Italian bolognese sauce not too long ago,
which reminded me that I’ve actually never posted a basic, Italian-American
meat sauce. This sauce goes by many names, including Sunday sauce, since that’s
the day it’s traditionally made, but for me growing up, this was just called
“sauce.”

This is one of those primal recipes that always follows the
same procedure, yet almost never contains exactly the same ingredients. I was
raised on a blend of beef, pork, and chicken, but any and all leftover proteins
can, and must, be added to the pot.

Meatballs are a great choice; as are things like pigs feet,
neck bones, and other similar cuts. The tougher the meat, the better it’s going
to be in this sauce. Besides playing meat roulette, I’ll also switch different
herbs like basil in and out, as well as include the occasional season
vegetable.

You can also vary your results here with different tomato products. I went old-school and hand-crushed whole plums, but you can also use crushed or pureed tomatoes as well. The finer and smoother the tomatoes are processed, the thicker your sauce will be, so keep that in mind. Speaking of tomatoes; yes, it is much better to caramelize the tomato paste with the onions before you add the San Marzanos, but I didn't because Grandma didn't, and also, I forgot.

As long as you cook the meat long enough, and season
thoughtfully, there’s really no way this sauce isn’t going to be great. So,
while you may not have grown up in an Italian-American home, with this
comforting sauce simmering on the stove every Sunday, your family still can. I
hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

26 comments:

Chef John.....is there any benefit to adding in the tomato paste after you sweat the onions and cook another minute or two before you add in the crushed tomatoes? Others have claimed that this caramelizes and intensifies that tomato flavor.

Hey Chef, question for you. When you made your chicken stock video you emphasized how the meat used to make it wasn't worth keeping as the flavors had all left the meat and went into the liquid. How is this any different? I only ask because I've noticed when I make italian sausages and leave it to simmer in the sauce, the sausages always taste flavorless in comparison to just grilling them up and adding them at the end.

The diff is that the bones in stock cook in plain water for a long time and all the flavor is extracted. Here the sausage is simmer for an hour in a flavorful, seasoned liquid. Sure some flavor goes from the meat to the sauce, but that's the idea!

I don't think I've ever made anything so simple yet so delicious. Simmering for hours on a Sunday afternoon, I keep having to shoo away the neighbors. Surprised this recipe didn't get more posts. Thanks from Colombia. PS I was thinking about translating some of your recipes into Spanish, then you could be Señor Chef Juan.

I've done similar recipes over the years. My favorite cuts to use are short ribs and oxtails. Both braise beautifully while holding up to a long simmer. Extra sauce gets thrown in the freezer for my next lasagna.

My favorite part about this recipe is that it the meat always comes out perfect every time I make it. I have trouble with slow cooking meat with other dishes as it dries out on me, but never with this dish. Awesome braised meat every time. The other thing is that this recipe make a lot of food, but it almost seems to get tastier after a day or 2, the leftovers are even better than the original.

Just followed this "process". Used chix thighs, pork ribs, and..... about 5 oz of london broil. Braised them all and I must tell you that the london broil was AMAZING! The sauce wasn't bad either ;). Thanks Chef John!

Chef John, your line about deglazing the pan that 'makes the difference between a good cook and a really good cook' basically sums up why I watch your videos over the years. Some part of the soul of cooking can't be learned from cookbooks, imo. As a stay at home dad, I can't always commit to some of the more involved dishes as much as I'd like to, so lately I am cooking at times vicariously through your demos, and man that means a lot.

Thanks again For your endless encouragement, the inspiration to make great food and the confidence to adjust on the fly. Please keep up the great work!

My Goode chef John. I love your videos and have watched every one. Yes, every one. I am the Alan Moore of your watchmen. I know a little obscure but delightful nonetheless. I love San marzano tomatoes but can I find already crushed version? Thank you so so much! Made your chicken with green onion Chipotle gravy tonight. It was a hit for at least a double or a triple on error :D